August 23, 2017 2:00 am

Looking for the best way to invest your money long-term? Most Americans say real estate is the way to go.

According to a recent report from Bankrate.com, when asked the best way to invest money not needed for more than 10 years, 28 percent of U.S. adults replied real estate, followed by cash investments (23 percent), the stock market (17 percent), gold/other precious metals (15 percent) and bonds (4 percent).

The Bankrate.com survey has been conducted five years in a row and this is the third straight time real estate has grabbed the number one slot. Interestingly, the stock market has never placed higher than third, which is particularly surprising since the S&P 500 is up more than 50 percent since the question was first asked in July 2013.

Republicans and households with annual incomes of $75,000 or more were the only demographic groups to select stocks as their preferred long-term investments. Baby Boomers and members of the Silent Generation were more likely to choose stocks than millennials and Gen Xers.

The Bankrate.com Financial Security Index dipped slightly recently, but is still at its third-best reading since the Index debuted in Dec. 2010. Four of the five components have improved from 12 months ago: job security, comfort level with debt, net worth and overall financial situation. However, Americans are feeling slightly worse about their savings relative to last year.

Feel free to contact me if you’d like more information about investing in real estate.